The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-12-29

III Z can be of any service 70 you,
he began. But he did not finish, Tor
the mothers eyes were fixed on him.
and only respect for his evident good
intentions prevented the flash Of def
ant anRer from them. They we're
splendid eyes, as Uncle Charlie has
said many = time since. and is ready
to say still.
'sTI1his is very awkward" she said at
length. Ct could cry, but II is better
to laugh. You must beaware that / can
not, under such peculiar circumstanc-
es, make q confident OF q stranger.
And / can mean no ~disrespect to one
whom / never saw before, II Isay
that ] ian not become indebted to
you. sir, for anything. / hope / am
still entitled to think myself q lady
Every inch q lady" thought Uncle
Charlie.
"And / must therefore thank you
forthe kindness you intended"
Poor and proud" Thought Uncle
Charlie.; I,
aAnd bid you good morning"
tsDone like a queen" thought Uncle
Charlie, as he rose, and found his
watch and money still safe. II have
two requests to make OF you" he
said, s.since you will receive nothing
;sof me.n ne
Il am ready to hear, she said.
That much, she thought; is due to.
your good intentions, if youhad them,
and you do not look like a bad man.
Uncle Charlie looked like anything
else. He said:
"Dnels thatyou shell notreprimand
o. punish my enigma for bringing me
here" q.
iaGrarted.
THE other that you will allow me
to call again..
The lady shook. her yhead.
with mysister this afternoon"
!. The lady considered q moment. II
am very much embarrassed" she
said, Fat this remarkable interview.
But you may call; it will not do to
suspect everybody, though heaven
knows Ihavereason enough" Ashade
OF deep sadness came over her face.
"You are certainly very handsome"
thought Uncle Charlie. as he took his
leave, land most interesting. 1t is
quite a New Years adventure" He
didinot feel for his watch and purse
till he was clear OF the court. Still
finding the integrity of his pockets
preserved, he walked briskly away,
full of curiosity, and determined to
satisfy it, ~ifpossible.
It is an agreeable amusement, as you
walk along the streets, to speculate
.npon the inhabitants of the houses,
and to people them with folks of your
own fancying; to imagine who ought
to live in this house, and who'll that,
to preserve the unlties. Uncle Charlie
would, no doubt, have INDUCED in
such day dreams il his head had not
been full of the wonderful place he had
just left, wonderful for it's simplicity,
as q fairy bower; with it's re-
markable child, and the
quite .lady-like s~elf-possessed
mother. The tenement had, to q
Philadelphian, nothing noticeable
about it. It.was one Of those small
houses peculiar to the Quaker City,
with the street door opening directly
into the best room, with q very mar
row front and not much depth. But
it vas one house, q whole house
though small for one family; such q
tenement as a widow could have all
to herself at small cost, or a clerk or
other man of modest means might
occupy, and not be forced into a
mixed residence with other people.
And the furniture had evidently
been removed here from q place more
commodious. The piano took up
more than its fair share OF one side.o
the room; and other articles said,
as plainly IS they could speak, that
they were never purchased for their
present quarters. These things
were not the puzzle of the
place for Uncle Charlie. What did
that child mean by taking him home
with her? Add what did the mother
mean by saying that she had no
friends? If che had only entertained
HIM with q plausible story, he would
have understood at once that the
whole thing was palpably q trap.
While Uncle Charlie walks and won
ders we will slip on before him to the
house where he would nave been long
before, il the little enigma had not be-
guiled him out OF his way.
SOLVING THE RIDDLE-NEW SURPRISES.
Here, too, were the evidences that
the inmates had seen more cheerful
days. But none Of the thousands
who passed the modest mansion.